Taking a deep breath, the young woman entered the small purple building in Sarasota, Florida, with a sign that proclaimed, “Second Chance Last Opportunity.”
After leaving an abusive relationship, Selina and her four young children had spent seven months living in a car, hotels and shelters. She finally found permanent housing, and a few days later, met a woman who was attending classes at Second Chance Last Opportunity. “I can see you’re still in pain. Why don’t you come with me to one of April’s meetings?”
April Glasco was the founder of the nonprofit, and she greeted Selina with an encouraging smile and the promise, “Your life can get better. You can have a bright future.”
From despair to hope
April knew firsthand Selina’s fear, hopelessness and pain. She had survived two abusive marriages herself, the first when she was just 18. Between marriages, April and her four daughters also had been homeless, living in her car and shelters for a time.
Somehow, despite her tumultuous homelife, during her second marriage, April managed to earn a bachelor’s degree in human development and a master’s degree in mental health counseling, studies she’d chosen hoping to help understand and break the cycle of violence she was caught up in. Still, April struggled to get the courage to leave.
Then one day, April woke up in the hospital, an ICU nurse telling her she almost didn’t make it, and April realized, I’ve been given a second chance and I have to use it to save myself—for my girls and for me. It may be my last opportunity.
This story is from the October 02, 2023 edition of Woman's World.
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This story is from the October 02, 2023 edition of Woman's World.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
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